It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 22

I instantly recognized the wolf staring at me with such a threatening gaze.

‘This must be Ethan Weevis, the one Theo and Deon mentioned.’

Ethan exuded a cool and prickly aura. He had very dark gray hair and blue eyes like Hogwood, but lacked Hogwood’s jovial demeanor.

‘Hogwood is huge, like a mountain, so he looks intimidating, but he seems like a good person…’

The difference between smiling and not smiling is so significant.

Judging by the cold look he was giving me at our first meeting, it seemed unlikely Ethan would ever smile at me.

Moreover, Ethan seemed to already suspect me.

“Being scared by something like this, and calling yourself a wolf.”

If Ethan shouted, ‘That kid is a cat!’ I might be exposed and kicked out.

Gridwolf had temporarily taken me in because they thought I was a wolf, based on my perked-up ears.

‘What Weevis’s wolf says will carry weight. What should I do…’

No matter how I looked at it, Ethan didn’t seem to think well of me. His decision to tutor me must have been made with some other intention.

I had been really looking forward to having a cool wolf teacher and friend. I was so upset that tears almost welled up in my eyes.

Ethan didn’t care whether I was disappointed or not and bowed to Mr. and Mrs. Gridwolf.

“Lady Caris, Lord Jackal. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“It’s been a while, Ethan. We’ve been the same as always, except for having Kittia with us.”

Ethan, who greeted them perfectly, looked at me again with his cold blue eyes.

“I heard the news that you decided to take her in temporarily.”

It sounded to me like Ethan was deliberately emphasizing the word ‘temporarily’.

Of course, I was planning to leave the mansion when I became an adult to avenge my mother… but hearing it from someone else’s mouth made my chest ache.

‘I’m not going to beg you to think of me as a real family member. I’m grateful just for being fed and protected.’

I tried to calm myself. Ethan didn’t even acknowledge Theo and Deon, who were frowning, and moved on.

“I think I have a bit of motion sickness from reading in the carriage. May I rest for a bit?”

“Oh dear… Paul, show Ethan to his room.”

Lady Caris called the head butler and spoke. Ethan left without hesitating or looking back even once.

Hogwood, who was left alone, scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Haha, I apologize on his behalf, Kittia. Ethan is a bit prickly, isn’t he?”

“Ah, no. I’ll just assume Ethan was having a hard time because of motion sickness.”

“You are a brave little wolf, just like Caris said. I’m late to greet you, but I’m Hogwood Weevis.”

Hogwood held out his hand to me. His hand was so big that it seemed difficult to hold and shake with one hand.

I held Hogwood’s big hand tightly with both hands and shook it.

Squish—

At that moment, Hogwood’s eyes twinkled.

‘Hogwood also likes my squishy hands!’

I smiled, feeling proud. I hoped he would like me as much as the Gridwolf wolves did.

Jackal, who had been silently watching us from behind, blurted out.

“I heard her nickname is Squishy Hands.”

“Haha, that’s a well-made nickname. Judging by you mentioning it, you must like it too, Jackal?”

“…….”

Lord Jackal closed his mouth again, but Hogwood didn’t care and laughed heartily.

‘Wolves have such diverse personalities.’

Hogwood let go of my hand after a long time.

“When my wife was alive, Ethan was kind and friendly… but at some point, he closed his heart. He used to get along well with Theo and Deon too.”

Theo and Deon had sullen faces, but I somehow felt like I could understand.

Rena said so. Ethan lost his mother four years ago when the panthers went berserk.

‘He lost his mom when he was younger than me.’

Apart from being prickly with me, I felt a little sorry for Ethan. Hogwood sighed lightly and continued.

“After my wife died, I stayed by Ethan’s side… but I think he doesn’t rely on me because I was often away when Ethan was young.”

“…….”

“He must be more attached to my wife. And that wife tried to protect Ethan and ended up like that…”

Hogwood trailed off, but I could tell that Ethan’s mother had lost her life trying to protect Ethan.

After losing his mother, Ethan gradually stopped meeting Theo and Deon even when they went to the Weevis mansion.

I felt strangely uneasy.

“Do you hate meeting people, but you came all this way because of me?”

“I think he avoids socializing with others more than before, but he decided to be your teacher because of me.”

Hogwood gave a bitter smile.

“The panthers are starting to get restless, so I’m going to start moving again. I said I was worried about having to leave the mansion for a long time, so he said he would become your teacher and stay at Gridwolf.”

“Ah…”

I knew very well that Ethan hadn’t happily become my teacher to teach me, who had temporarily become a member of Gridwolf.

He must be trying to stay at Gridwolf, a close family, for a while, worried about being a burden to his father.

‘So, the position of a tutor at Gridwolf was a good opportunity for Ethan.’

That means there’s no reason for him to sneer at me as soon as he sees me. Then, did he notice that I’m a cat?

I felt dejected and gloomy. Theo and Deon, who were on either side of me, hurriedly whispered.

“Kitty, are you upset?”

“As soon as your perked-up wolf ears popped out, they drooped.”

“Ah…”

I hurriedly rubbed my wolf ears and pushed them in. The Gridwolf couple and Hogwood’s lips twitched as if they were holding something back.

* * *

After being sulky for a while, wolf guests began to arrive one after another. Kittia, who had received a request from Caris, had to move busily.

“Kitty. There’s a lot of time left until dinner, so we’re going to have a simple tea time. Would you like to be the host of the children’s table?”

“Yes!”

At Caris’s request, Kitty nodded, her eyes sparkling. Then, she quickly went to her room and took out a chick-colored dress and a matching hat.

‘If my cat ears suddenly pop out in front of Ethan, I’ll be laughed at again.’

Kitty held onto her hat tightly so it wouldn’t fly away and headed to the glass greenhouse. Maids were preparing for tea time under the warm sunlight.

Kitty remembered all the faces of those she had been introduced to before.

“Flora, Betty, Anna. Hello?”

When Kitty greeted them with her cute lips, the maids exclaimed.

“Oh my, Lady Flora! The young lady has arrived!”

“Thank you for remembering all of our names. You have a good memory, young lady.”

Kitty, who quickly became happy, began to estimate the guests for the children’s tea party with the maids.

“Theo and Deon, and me… is Ethan coming too?”

“Yes. The head butler asked just in case, and Master Ethan said he would join us.”

“I guess his motion sickness has subsided.”

It was fun to prepare the cups and saucers according to the number of people and to choose the snacks to go on the tray.

It felt like the things she had studied with her two brothers were shining. Kitty hurried with the preparations, wearing a proud smile.

“…….”

Ethan, who had arrived earlier than the appointed time as usual, didn’t get any closer and silently stared at Kittia.

‘A cat staying in a wolf mansion.’

Ethan found Kittia’s existence annoying in itself.

When Hogwood first announced that Gridwolf’s temporarily adopted daughter was a cat, Ethan doubted his ears.

After realizing that he had heard correctly, he couldn’t even let out a hollow laugh because he was so dumbfounded.

The panthers who occupied Blue Moon might go wild at any moment, but they were playing adoption games?

And with a skinny cat who clearly wouldn’t be able to survive among the wolves.

‘Are they kidding me?’

Weak beings were bound to hold back strong beings.

Just like his mother, who had the most brilliant mind in the history of beastmen, had lost her life trying to protect him by jumping into enemy lines.

As he took in Kittia’s damaged hair and still emaciated frame, his brow furrowed little by little. An unpleasant voice echoed in his mind.

“Kyle. My wife’s body is…”

“I’m sorry, Lord Hogwood. My lady’s body is so badly damaged that you’ll have to wait a few more days for the funeral. My lady rushed into enemy lines recklessly…”

“…It’s okay. It was my wife’s choice to protect Ethan.”

Ethan tried to calm his thoughts. At the same time, Kitty, who was putting down a teaspoon, looked at him in surprise.

“Ethan, when did you get here?”

“Your hearing wouldn’t be able to sense my presence.”

Ethan said curtly.

Kitty, who had decided not to hold back any longer, put her hands together and said to Ethan.

“I was happy that you were going to be my teacher, Ethan.”

“Not particularly.”

“…Why do you hate me?”

Kitty asked in a trembling voice. Ethan narrowed the distance and growled in a small voice.

“I’m just not interested in you. It’s obvious that you, being so weak, will be a burden to the wolf pack.”

“…….”

“Wasn’t the temporary adoption supposed to last until you become an adult? Don’t do anything troublesome and behave yourself. That’s the only way a powerless animal can preserve its life.”

Ethan said in a heavy voice. Just as he was about to read a book until tea time started, Kitty called out to him.

“I’m not going to live like that.”

Her voice trembled thinly with instinctive fear, but Ethan heard Kitty’s words clearly.

For a brief moment, a fighting spirit flickered in her emerald eyes, and his expression, which had been indifferent, wavered slightly.

“Right now, my teeth are broken and my pronunciation is off, and I’m skinny, but I’ll get stronger and stronger. So… I’m going to avenge my mom with my own hands.”

He was just listening to the hopes of a powerless animal, but his head started to spin. Ethan blurted out.

“So, you came to Gridwolf pretending to be a wolf when you’re a cat?”

“……!”

Thump. Kitty’s heart sank to the bottom.